Being Thankful For What Is.
Be thankful for the things you have in life. For your loved ones, family and friends, for your health, your job, the roof over your head and the food on your table, for the clothes you wear and the car (or other mode of transport) you drive. So things aren’t perfect. So what? Have they ever been perfect? And even if they have been, they didn’t stay that way did they? That’s not a rhetorical question. Really, think about it then answer it for yourself. Don’t worry, there are no wrong answers and you won’t be graded. Hint: If you think the promise of sustained perfection is pi in the sky, you’re on the right track.
Let me give you an example, I used to have a good paying job, but it wasn’t perfect. My commute was 1.25 hours each way. Then I got laid off. I lost the commute and gained more time with loved ones, but I also gained unemployment benefits. Definitely not perfect. I recently found a new job. I’m thankful for that, but I know it won’t be perfect.
What’s my point you ask? Life is not perfect. There is always something else we want, think we need, would change if only…. There will always be accidents or unhappy circumstances, or unfortunate events. So too will there be days filled with unexpected pleasures and joy. In other words, there will always be ups and downs. Some things are under our control for some of the time, others are not. And outside of a few fleeting moments here and there none of it will be perfect.
So what are you left with? Being thankful! Appreciating the things you have, and the people you love. Appreciating them in the here and now because, whether we like to admit it or not, things change and they change all the time. So if things change all the time, and we never know what the next day is going to bring, its best to cultivate a deep appreciation for what is at this very moment. It’s also good to cultivate an ability to be detached from a particular outcome. If we are not attached to how we think something should be or look then we are free to appreciate what ever happens as it is.
Let me give you an example, I used to have a good paying job, but it wasn’t perfect. My commute was 1.25 hours each way. Then I got laid off. I lost the commute and gained more time with loved ones, but I also gained unemployment benefits. Definitely not perfect. I recently found a new job. I’m thankful for that, but I know it won’t be perfect.
What’s my point you ask? Life is not perfect. There is always something else we want, think we need, would change if only…. There will always be accidents or unhappy circumstances, or unfortunate events. So too will there be days filled with unexpected pleasures and joy. In other words, there will always be ups and downs. Some things are under our control for some of the time, others are not. And outside of a few fleeting moments here and there none of it will be perfect.
So what are you left with? Being thankful! Appreciating the things you have, and the people you love. Appreciating them in the here and now because, whether we like to admit it or not, things change and they change all the time. So if things change all the time, and we never know what the next day is going to bring, its best to cultivate a deep appreciation for what is at this very moment. It’s also good to cultivate an ability to be detached from a particular outcome. If we are not attached to how we think something should be or look then we are free to appreciate what ever happens as it is.
